5 Things you Can Do for your Phone to Boost Its Lifetime

How many of us can say that we take good care of our phones? We are sure we all think we do, but the truth is that most of us could be doing a lot more to prolong the lifespan of our devices. Here are five easy things you can do to for your phone’s prolonged lifespan:

Keep your Phone Clean

One of the best ways to prolong the lifetime of your phone is to keep it clean. Just like any other devices, our phones need to be cleaned every once in a while too. Not only will this help it look its best, but it will also prevent dirt and dust from clogging up its internals and affecting its performance.

A build-up of dust can cause your phone to overheat, and if there’s any moisture mixed in with it (from your sweaty hands or a rainy day), that can lead to all sorts of problems including corrosion. Use a soft, dry cloth to wipe down your phone on a weekly basis, and make sure to clean off any fingerprints or smudges as soon as they appear. You can use a mild cleaning solution if you like, but just plain water will do the trick most of the time. Also, make sure to clean off the charger port and headphone jack every once in a while – lint and pocket lint can get caught in there and cause problems.

Don’t Use It in Extreme Temperatures

Just like with any other electronic device, you should avoid exposing your phone to extreme temperatures. This means keeping it out of direct sunlight on hot days, and avoiding using it in very cold weather. If you can, try to keep your phone in a temperature-controlled environment as much as possible. When it’s too cold, the battery drains faster. When it’s too hot, well, you might end up with a popped can of soda (or worse).

Keep the Battery Healthy

Here are a few behavior changes that will help keep your battery working well into the future.

1. Let it breathe.

You might have heard that it’s good for your phone to “let the battery breathe” every now and then by fully discharging it before recharging again. This was true for older Nickel-based batteries, but with today’s Lithium-ion batteries, it’s actually best to keep them as close to 50% full as possible. So recharge when you can, and if you’re going to be away from an outlet for a while, top off the charge before you go.

2. Too many cooks spoil the broth.

In this case, too many apps running in the background can tax your battery life more than you realize. So take a look at what apps are running and close anything that you’re not using at the moment. Many people think that quitting apps completely is better for battery life, but iOS actually does a good job of managing apps in the background so they don’t use up too much power. So quitting an app isn’t likely to save much battery life unless it’s a particularly resource-intensive app.

3. Sedentary lifestyle.

If your phone is just sitting on a desk all day without being used, it will slowly drain the battery as various things run in the background — like checking for new emails or news updates. To help preserve battery life when you’re not using your phone, set it to airplane mode or power it down completely until you need it again.

4. Too much of a good thing.

Just like with people, sometimes too much of a good thing can be bad for you — or in this case, bad for your battery. Using certain features on your phone extensively can tax the battery and shorten its overall lifespan. So if you find yourself regularly using GPS navigation or running lots of resource-intensive games on your phone, try to take some breaks in between to give the battery a chance to recover somewhat.

Get Insurance

We all know how important our phones are to us. They’re our lifelines to the outside world, and we rely on them for everything from keeping in touch with loved ones to staying up-to-date on the latest news. But what happens when your phone gets damaged or stolen? Suddenly, you’re without your most important tool and you’re faced with a hefty repair or replacement bill.

If you consider your phone your life then you might want to consider having insurance for your phone. For a small monthly fee, you can rest assured that if you lose your phone accidentally (this includes drop damage and water damage) or if your phone is stolen or lost, most insurance policies will cover the cost of a replacement. And in today’s uncertain world, that peace of mind is priceless.

Use a Good Case

If you want to keep your phone looking rugged and new, then you should definitely invest in a case. A case will not only protect your phone from scratches and dents, but it will also absorb shocks from drops. There are many different varieties of cases available on the market, so you should be able to find one that fits both your style and your budget.

Don’t drop your phone. This seems like common sense, but it bears repeating: Protect your phone by not dropping it. That one fall could shatter the screen or damage the internal components. If you’re unlucky, the phone could be completely ruined. And if you have to get it repaired, that will cost you money and time. A screen protector is an inexpensive way to keep your phone’s screen looking like new. Screen protectors are made of thin plastic or glass that can help protect against scratches, fingerprints, and other types of damage. Many stores sell screen protectors that are specifically designed for certain phone models, so be sure to get one that fits yours perfectly.